by Steve Timmer

Oct 10, 2012, 12:30 PM

And Rudy is a better Jew than Paul

Echoes in the Ellison – Fields contest in the Fifth District

We’re coming up on the tenth anniversary (on October 25th) of the death of Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, his daughter Marcia, three campaign workers and two pilots in a tragic airplane accident. It is ironic and sad that an event from Wellstone’s political career echoes in the Fifth District contest between Rep. Keith Ellison and Republican challenger, Chris Fields.

Fields has brought race into debate — recently airing a commercial that City Pages calls bizarre — claiming to be a better black man that Ellison. Well bizarre it is, but I would also use adjectives like demagogic, odious, and poisonous. Oh, I forgot reprehensible.

It bring to mind, of course, a letter that went out on Rudy Boschwitz’s campaign stationery claiming that Rudy was a better Jew than Paul:

Boschwitz was also hurt by a letter his supporters wrote, on campaign stationery, to members of the Minnesota Jewish community days before the election, accusing Wellstone of being a “bad Jew” for marrying a Gentile and not raising his children in the Jewish faith.

That letter had the same effect that Fields’ race baiting is going to have; it won’t be Keith Ellison who is hurt by it.

Update: There is a memorial event to observe the sad anniversary of the crash this evening at 7 PM. The Uptake will carry it live.